Green Lentil & Spinach Dal with Spinach Flatbreads

This is my first recipe for 2020 – can you believe it?!

I know it’s taken a little while as I have been caught me up with my cookbook launch! And I am completely overwhelmed, in the best way possible, with all the positive responses so far and seeing you all make my recipes – I honestly can never put into words just how happy that makes me.

Creating a cookbook is a long and tiring process, but I have loved every step of the way. It’s full of ups and downs, but seeing the result is completely worth it, especially when I know you guys are loving and cooking and eating the recipes as much as I do!

But I digress – back to the recipe you came here for, my delicious Green Lentil and Spinach Dal with Spinach Flatbreads.

If you have been following me for a while, you would know it’s no surprise that my first recipe would be a lentil one.

If it’s wrong to have a love affair with an ingredient, I don’t want to be right. Lentils are the perfect ingredient for a lot of reasons.

They are low in calories, rich in iron, and an excellent source of protein, plus they can bulk out so many types of dishes, making them the ultimate store cupboard essential to stock up on.

They are just utterly perfect for this time of the year – delicious, healthy, and comforting.

I’ve used earthy green lentils in this dish, then added in handfuls of fresh spinach to create that glorious green colour – which I’ve made extra luxurious by swirling with a little coconut yogurt for a rich finish.

I like to finish this dish with my favourite gram flour flatbreads, which have a little extra spinach folded through them (a perfect way to get a little extra goodness in your belly or hiding them from your kids!).

The flatbreads are super simple to make, and they are the perfect vehicle to scoop up all that delicious and divine dal.

You can serve the dish as it is, add a fresh salad, zingy slaw studded with pomegranate pearls or even roasted vegetables to the plate with lots of dips on the side. Go as crazy or as simple as you like – this dish is just the base for some wonderful food memories and to kick-start 2020 in a truly appetizing style.

I always make extra portions when creating this recipe because the flavours are even better the next day once they have developed and infuse all the wonderful components, plus it freezes and keeps really well, making it the perfect meal-prepping dish.

Just portion out and freeze in jars or individual portions and thaw overnight in the fridge – it can be kept in the freezer for a few weeks. The flatbreads also benefit from resting for a few hours, so if you can, make the batter in the morning to allow it to breathe, bubble and become soft and subtle.

It’s also super-adaptable, meaning you can use up any leftover veggies in the fridge or swap out for your favourite ingredients.

If you can’t find gram flour, buckwheat works just as well.

Swap out the green lentils for red or another variant, or use green split peas instead.

Use rocket or any other wilting baby leaf in replacement of the spinach in both the dal or the flatbreads.

Add a swirl of coconut yoghurt or a drizzle of tahini dressing for extra creaminess and luxury.

Bulk the dal out by adding green vegetables such as courgette or green beans or mushrooms for added texture.

If you like this recipe, why not give one of my other Dal recipes a try?

I’ve created a Roast Carrot Dal that is perfect when serves with a herby raita. The sweet roasted carrots work as both a thickener and flavour enhancer.

My Creamy Squash Dal with Roast Squash and a Cucumber and Mint Dip is the perfect winter warmer dish which is sweet, salty and spicy all at once.

And finally, my Beetroot Dal with Roast Beetroot and Gram Flour Flatbreads is a purply pink variant of this green dish. It’s rich and earthy but with a touch of sweetness that makes a truly show stopping meal.

Happy cooking, love Niki xx